Read on Twitter
LIVESTREAM ALERT 1/
This is a big one.
Tonight, a ~726km wide object in the Kuiper Belt will make a star disappear, for ~33 seconds!
I will be recording the #occultation, and showing it to you, LIVE.
Livestream link:
#astronomy #outreach #STEM
2/
The Kuiper Belt is BEYOND the orbit of Neptune!
The “trans-neptunian” object that will occult the star is a ~726km wide object named “2002MS4”, discovered by Mike Brown @plutokiller and Chad Trujillo @chad222.
You can learn more about 2002MS4 here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(307261)_2002_MS4
The Kuiper Belt is BEYOND the orbit of Neptune!
The “trans-neptunian” object that will occult the star is a ~726km wide object named “2002MS4”, discovered by Mike Brown @plutokiller and Chad Trujillo @chad222.
You can learn more about 2002MS4 here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(307261)_2002_MS4
3/
This stellar #occultation is only ~33 seconds long, and only visible along a narrow path across Earth.
The star is a 14.8 magnitude (dim) star, and for that ~33 second period, it will significantly dim/disappear.
You can learn more nerdy details:
https://lesia.obspm.fr/lucky-star/occ.php?p=39060
This stellar #occultation is only ~33 seconds long, and only visible along a narrow path across Earth.
The star is a 14.8 magnitude (dim) star, and for that ~33 second period, it will significantly dim/disappear.
You can learn more nerdy details:
https://lesia.obspm.fr/lucky-star/occ.php?p=39060
4/
I’m REALLY excited for this event.
It’s blows my mind that we can track the orbit of an object that small and far away (BEYOND NEPTUNE, FFS!), with an accuracy that we know will cross paths and block a SPECIFIC pinpoint of light from a distant star when viewed from Earth!
I’m REALLY excited for this event.
It’s blows my mind that we can track the orbit of an object that small and far away (BEYOND NEPTUNE, FFS!), with an accuracy that we know will cross paths and block a SPECIFIC pinpoint of light from a distant star when viewed from Earth!
5/
Think about this:
The reason stars look bigger/smaller in our images is not because we can resolve SIZES of stars, but rather how bright they are.
What I’m getting at is:
The light from stars in our images is resulting from PINPOINTS of light.
So, it’s kind of a big deal.
Think about this:
The reason stars look bigger/smaller in our images is not because we can resolve SIZES of stars, but rather how bright they are.
What I’m getting at is:
The light from stars in our images is resulting from PINPOINTS of light.
So, it’s kind of a big deal.
6/
OH crap. I forgot to mention the time in the tweet!
The livestream will at 22:30 UTC, TONIGHT, July 26, 2020.
The occultation is predicted to begin around 23:17 UTC, but will only last ~33 seconds! https://twitter.com/TheAstroShake/status/1287357708195237888
OH crap. I forgot to mention the time in the tweet!
The livestream will at 22:30 UTC, TONIGHT, July 26, 2020.
The occultation is predicted to begin around 23:17 UTC, but will only last ~33 seconds! https://twitter.com/TheAstroShake/status/1287357708195237888
What's also VERY interesting about this occultation event, is the narrow swath across Earth where it is visible.
Map from/credit:
https://lesia.obspm.fr/lucky-star/occ.php?p=39060
Map from/credit:
https://lesia.obspm.fr/lucky-star/occ.php?p=39060
Thanks to David Dickenson ( @Astroguyz) for offering his video and voice for some commentary while I collect data during the event tonight!
The sky is looking pretty nice so far tonight, and after a short power outage (*GASP*!), I’m up and running again.
HOT TIP:
When focusing, always use stars with cool names.
Followers, meet Nunki.
Nunki, followers.
When focusing, always use stars with cool names.
Followers, meet Nunki.
Nunki, followers.
Just for fun, while I wait around for the target to cross the meridian, I’m hanging out on the core of Messier 4, a globular cluster near the big and bright star Antares.
Here’s a live screenshot
Here’s a live screenshot
